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You can think of herbs as culinary exclamation points or as the oldest magic in this age of the world. Chinese herbals date from as early as 5000 B.C., and medieval monks preserved herbal lore by writing it out and hiding it in monasteries during the Dark Ages. While in ancient times herbs were valued for their religious and medicinal significance, modern gardeners grow herbs largely to spice up meals. Whatever your plan for herbs, you can grow your own successfully in window boxes or planters on a sunny patio or windowsill.

1

Measure your planters and mark down their dimensions including length, width and height. Whether they are window boxes or planting boxes on the patio, you need to know how much space you have for herbs. Evaluate the sunshine the planters receive daily; most herbs require at least 6 to 8 hours of direct sun. If your planters are outdoors, determine the temperatures the herbs will need to face during the coldest part of the year.

2

List every herb you use in your cooking during an entire month. Add to the list herbs you have always wanted to try. Carry the list with you to the garden store and evaluate the options. Select potted herbs whose containers fit well into the space that you have available. Glance at the tag on each plant to make sure you select plants that thrive in your climate with the amount of sunshine available in your planters.

3

Alternatively, buy seeds for the top herbs on your list and purchase a flowerpot or other container for each herb. Measure the pots to be sure that, when massed together, they fit into your planters. Fill the pots with a good potting mixture and sow seeds according to package directions. Keep the soil moist and the pots in a protected location out of direct sun until the seeds sprout. When the plants are 2 inches tall, they are ready for the planters.

4

Move your potted herbs into your planters. If you could not resist buying pots that are shorter than the sides of your planter, place wood blocks under them so that the herbs growing inside gets their share of sunshine. Water your herbs lightly and evenly; they need moist soil, not wet soil.

5

Fertilize basil (Ocimum basilicum), parsley (Petroselinum crispum) and dill (Anethum graveolens) every three weeks with a balanced, water-soluble fertilizer. Do not feed the other herbs in your planter as fertilization will cause stem and leaf growth at the expense of essential oils that give the herbs their flavor.

Things You Will Need

Tape measure

4-inch planting pots

Potting soil

Water-soluble fertilizer

Tips

Start your herb garden early in spring to make the most use of your herbs.

Some herb plants, such as rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) and thyme (Thymus vulgaris), are perennials that will provide you with herbs for years to come in Mediterranean climates. Other herbs, like basil and chives (Allium schoenoprasum), are annuals. Consider selecting some of each.

Harvest herb leaves at any time during the growing season, snipping the tender, growing tips. If you plan to dry the herbs, harvest them just as the flower buds open. Don't take too many leaves from one herb, however, since that plant may suffer. Don't take more than one-third of the foliage of an herb plant. You can cut established perennial herbs back to one-half their height. Do this at least a month before the end of the growing season.

Warnings

Herbs in smaller containers dry out more quickly than those in larger containers. Water them more often.

About the Author

From Alaska to California, from France's Basque Country to Mexico's Pacific Coast, Teo Spengler has dug the soil, planted seeds and helped trees, flowers and veggies thrive. World traveler, professional writer and consummate gardener, Spengler earned a BA from U.C. Santa Cruz, a law degree from Berkeley's Boalt Hall, and an MA and MFA from San Francisco State. She currently divides her life between San Francisco and southwestern France.